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Wonderling Announces Cyber Security Initiative
to Protect Pennsylvanians from Identity Theft
HARRISBURG -- Sen.
Rob Wonderling (R-24) and several other members of the General Assembly
announced a comprehensive package of legislation to protect Pennsylvanians from
identity theft at the State Capitol Monday.
The cyber security package is
made up of six bills designed to protect the personal information of
Pennsylvania consumers. Identity thieves use this personal information, such as
account passwords, Social Security numbers and credit card numbers, to commit
fraud under the victim’s name.
“Victims of identity theft can
be forced to spend a great deal of time and money to repair the damage to their
credit,” said Wonderling, who chairs the Senate Communications and Technology
Committee. “The bills in our cyber security package will extend greater
protections to Pennsylvanians so they can avoid having their credit history and
good name ruined."
Wonderling said that four of
the bills in the package will be considered by the Communications and Technology
Committee at 1 p.m. Monday.
The cyber security package
includes:
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Senate Bill 711,
sponsored by Sen. John Gordner (R-27), which would make it a crime to
distribute spyware to a computer without the user’s consent or knowledge.
Spyware, a program that transmits a user’s personal information through the
user’s Internet connection, is a tool often used by identity thieves to
obtain personal information. “Spyware presents a serious threat to the
security of our personal information, and we must take action to prevent
this valuable information from falling into the wrong hands,” Gordner said.
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Senate Bill 712,
sponsored by Sen. Wonderling, which requires any entity that has
computerized data that includes personal information to notify affected
customers of any breach of its security systems. The computer breach bill
will reduce the risk of consumers’ privacy being compromised without their
knowledge. Companion legislation will be introduced in the House by Rep.
Matthew Baker (R-68).
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Senate Bill 180,
sponsored by Sen. Jake Corman (R-34), which allows consumers to place a
security alert or a security freeze on their credit reports. A security
alert warns requestors of the credit report that the consumer's identity may
have been compromised, while a security freeze would prohibit credit
agencies from disclosing that person’s credit report without specific
pre-authorization. “Many consumers have had their credit ruined by scam
artists who gain access to their credit reports and personal information,”
Corman said. “This legislation would provide additional safeguards against
this type of identity theft."
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Senate Bill 713,
sponsored by Wonderling, which requires any cell phone company operating in
the Commonwealth with a subscriber directory to allow subscribers the option
of being included in the directory. The legislation mandates that a
subscriber cannot be charged a fee for making the choice to not be listed in
a directory, and they may revoke consent at any time.
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Senate Bill 601,
sponsored by Wonderling, which would protect the privacy of Social Security
numbers. The bill would prohibit any person or institution from making a
Social Security number available to the public, as well as prohibiting the
use of Social Security numbers to access goods or services. Companion
legislation will be introduced in the House by Rep. Doug Reichley (R-134).
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Senate Bill 714,
sponsored by Wonderling, which would require PennDOT to issue new drivers
license numbers on request to victims of identity theft. Companion
legislation will be introduced in the House by Rep. Richard Geist (R-79).
In Pennsylvania, reported cases
of identity theft have increased from less than 5,100 in 2002 to more than 7,500
in 2004. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that U.S. consumers and
businesses lost $52.6 billion last year due to identity theft.
Just this year, an escalating
number of computer breaches across the nation have put the personal information
of almost 10 million consumers at risk. Seven states have already enacted
legislation similar to Senate Bill 712 to deal with the computer breach problem.
 
Wonderling
Gordner
Corman
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On June 13 at a Capitol
news conference, Sen.
Rob Wonderling, center, Sen. John Gordner, left, and Sen. Jake Corman, right,
announce a comprehensive package of legislation to protect Pennsylvanians from
identity theft.
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